Prohibited Services

1. Adult goods and services which includes pornography and other sexually suggestive materials (including literature, imagery and other media), escort or prostitution services.
2. Alcohol which includes Alcohol or alcoholic beverages such as beer, liquor, wine, or champagne.
3. Body parts which include organs or other body parts.
4. Bulk marketing tools which include email lists, software, or other products enabling unsolicited email messages (spam).
5. Cable descramblers and black boxes which includes devices intended to obtain cable and satellite signals for free.
6. Child pornography which includes pornographic materials involving minors.
7. Copyright unlocking devices which include Mod chips or other devices designed to circumvent copyright protection.
8. Copyrighted media which includes unauthorized copies of books, music, movies, and other licensed or protected materials.
9. Copyrighted software which includes unauthorized copies of software, video games and other licensed or protected materials, including OEM or bundled software.
10. Counterfeit and unauthorized goods which includes replicas or imitations of designer goods; items without a celebrity endorsement that would normally require such an association, fake autographs, counterfeit stamps, and other potentially unauthorized goods.
11. Drugs and drug paraphernalia which includes illegal drugs and drug accessories, including herbal drugs like salvia and magic mushrooms.
12. Drug test circumvention aids which include drug cleansing shakes, urine test additives, and related items.
13. Endangered species which includes plants, animals, or other organisms (including product derivatives) in danger of extinction.
14. Gaming/gambling which includes lottery tickets, sports bets, memberships/enrolment in online gambling sites, and related content.
15. Government IDs or documents which includes fake IDs, passports, diplomas, and noble titles.
16. Hacking and cracking materials which includes manuals, how-to guides, information, or equipment enabling illegal access to software, servers, watomites, or other protected property.
17. Illegal goods which include materials, products, or information promoting illegal goods or enabling illegal acts.
18. Miracle cures which include unsubstantiated cures, remedies or other items marketed as quick health fixes.
19. Offensive goods which include literature, products, or other materials that: (a) Defame or slander any person or groups of people based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, or other factors, (b) Encourage or incite violent acts and (c) Promote intolerance or hatred.
20. Offensive goods, crime which includes crime scene photos or items, such as personal belongings, associated with criminals.
21. Prescription drugs or herbal drugs or any kind of online pharmacies which includes drugs or other products requiring a prescription by a licensed medical practitioner.
22. Pyrotechnic devices and hazardous materials which includes fireworks and related goods, toxic, flammable, and radioactive materials, and substances.
23. Regulated goods which include air bags; batteries containing mercury; Freon or similar substances/refrigerants, chemical/industrial solvents, government uniforms, car titles or logos, license plates, police badges and law enforcement equipment, lock-picking devices, pesticides; postage meters, recalled items, slot machines, surveillance equipment; goods regulated by government or other agency specifications.
24. Securities, which includes stocks, bonds, or related financial products.
25. Tobacco and cigarettes which includes cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, and related products.
26. Traffic devices which include radar detectors/jammers, license plate covers, traffic signal changers, and related products.
27. Weapons which include firearms, ammunition, knives, brass knuckles, gun parts, and other armaments.
28. Wholesale currency which includes discounted currencies or currency exchanges.
29. Live animals or hides/skins/teeth, nails, and other parts etc of animals.
30. Multi-Level Marketing collection fees.
31. Matrix sites or sites using a matrix scheme approach.
32. Work-at-home information.
33. Drop-shipped merchandise.
34. Any product or service which is not in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations whether federal, state, local or international, including the laws of India.

Apart from above, business models prone to higher chargebacks & frauds that are not doable.

1. Money transfer, wire transfers.
2. Financial Institutions – Manual Cash Disbursements.
3. Financial Institutions – Automated Cash Disbursements.
4. Quasi-cash, currency, money orders, travellers’ cheques, debt repayment, loan payment, lease payment, mortgage companies (not money transfer, non-financial institution).
5. Account funding, stored value card purchase, prepaid load (non-financial institution).
6. Quasi-cash (e.g. Western Union).
7. Money transfer-member financial institution.
8. Debt collection agencies or B2B Collection.
9. Remote stored value load-member financial institution/LIC.
10. MoneySend Funding.
11. Key-entry Telecom Merchant providing single local and long-distance phone calls using a central access number in a non-face-to-face environment using key entry.
12. Antique Shops – Sales, Repairs, and Restoration Services.
13. Pawn Shops.
14. Stamp & coin stores.
15. Tobacco, cigarettes, cigar stores, vape e-cigs, e-cigarettes.
16. Timeshares, timeshare rentals, leases and sales.
17. Dating/Escort Services.
18. Debt, marriage, personal counselling services.
19. Massage Parlors.
20. Detective Agencies.
21. Truck stop transactions.
22. Adult content and services merchants/Video Tape Rental Stores.
23. Video Amusement Game Supplies.
24. Video games and arcades.
25. Betting/Casino Gambling.
26. Political Organizations.
27. Gambling - Horse Racing, Dog Racing, Non-Sports Intrastate Internet Gambling.
28. Digital Goods: Games.
29. Digital Goods: Applications (Excludes Games).
30. Antique Shops - Sales, Repairs, and Restoration Services.

1. Adult goods and services which includes pornography and other sexually suggestive materials (including literature, imagery and other media), escort or prostitution services. Apparatus such as personal massagers/vibrators and sex toys and enhancements.
2. Body parts, which includes organs or other body parts – live, cultured/preserved or from cadaver.
3. Bulk marketing tools which include email lists, software, or other products enabling unsolicited email messages (spam).
4. Cable TV descramblers and black boxes which include devices intended to obtain cable and satellite signals for free.
5. Child pornography in any form.
6. Copyright unlocking devices which include Mod chips or other devices designed to circumvent copyright protection.
7. Copyrighted media, which includes unauthorized copies of books, music, movies, and other licensed or protected materials.
8. Copyrighted software which includes unauthorized copies of software, video games and other licensed or protected materials, including OEM or bundled software.
9. Counterfeit and unauthorized goods which includes replicas or imitations of designer goods; items without a celebrity endorsement that would normally require such an association; fake autographs, counterfeit stamps, and other potentially unauthorized goods.
10. Drugs and drug paraphernalia which includes illegal drugs and drug accessories, including herbal drugs including but not limited to salvia and magic mushrooms.
11. Drug test circumvention aids which include drug cleansing shakes, urine test additives, and related items.
12. Endangered species, which includes plants, animals, or other organisms (including product derivatives) in danger of extinction.
13. Gambling which includes lottery tickets, sports bets, memberships/enrolment in online gambling sites, and related content.
14. Government IDs or documents which includes fake IDs, passports, diplomas, and noble titles.
15. Hacking and cracking materials which include manuals, how-to guides, information, or equipment enabling illegal access to software, servers, websites, or other protected property.
16. Illegal goods which include materials, products, or information promoting illegal goods or enabling illegal acts.
17. Miracle cures which include unsubstantiated cures, remedies or other items marketed as quick health fixes.
18. Offensive goods which include literature, products or other materials that: (a) Defame or slander any person or groups of people based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, or other factors, (b) Encourage or incite violent acts and (c) Promote intolerance or hatred.
19. Offensive goods, crime which includes crime scene photos or items, such as personal belongings, associated with criminals.
20. Pyrotechnic devices and hazardous materials which includes fireworks and related goods, toxic, flammable, and radioactive materials and substances.
21. Regulated goods which include air bags; batteries containing mercury; Freon or similar substances/refrigerants; chemical/industrial solvents; government uniforms; car titles; license plates; police badges and law enforcement equipment; lock-picking devices; pesticides; postage meters; recalled items; slot machines; surveillance equipment; goods regulated by government or other agency specifications.
22. Tobacco and cigarettes which includes cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, and related products.
23. Traffic devices, which includes radar detectors/jammers, license plate covers, traffic signal changers, and related products.
24. Weapons, which includes firearms, ammunition, knives, brass knuckles, gun parts, and other armaments.
25. Live animals or hides/skins/teeth, nails, and other parts etc of animals.
26. Any intangible goods or services or aggregation/consolidation business.
27. Drop-shipped merchandise.
28. Web-based telephony/ SMS/Text/Facsimile services or Calling Cards. Bandwidth or Data transfer/allied services. Voice process /knowledge process services.
29. Any product or service, which is not in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations whether federal, state, both local and international, including the laws of India.

1. Adult goods and services which includes pornography and other sexually suggestive materials (including literature, imagery and other media); escort or prostitution services. Apparatus such as personal massagers/vibrators and sex toys and enhancements.
2. Alcohol, which includes Alcohol or alcoholic beverages such as beer, liquor, wine, or champagne.
3. Body parts, which includes organs or other body parts – live, cultured/preserved or from cadaver.
4. Bulk marketing tools which include email lists, software, or other products enabling unsolicited email messages (spam).
5. Cable TV descramblers and black boxes which includes devices intended to obtain cable and satellite signals for free.
6. Child pornography in any form.
7. Copyright unlocking devices which include Mod chips or other devices designed to circumvent copyright protection.
8. Copyrighted media, which includes unauthorized copies of books, music, movies, and other licensed or protected materials.
9. Copyrighted software which includes unauthorized copies of software, video games and other licensed or protected materials, including OEM or bundled software.
10. Counterfeit and unauthorized goods which includes replicas or imitations of designer goods; items without a celebrity endorsement that would normally require such an association; fake autographs, counterfeit stamps, and other potentially unauthorized goods.
11. Drugs and drug paraphernalia which includes illegal drugs and drug accessories, including herbal drugs including but not limited to salvia and magic mushrooms.
12. Drug test circumvention aids which include drug cleansing shakes, urine test additives, and related items.
13. Endangered species, which includes plants, animals, or other organisms (including product derivatives) in danger of extinction.
14. Gaming/gambling which includes lottery tickets, sports bets, memberships/ enrolment in online gambling sites, and related content.
15. Government IDs or documents which includes fake IDs, passports, diplomas, and noble titles.
16. Hacking and cracking materials which includes manuals, how-to guides, information, or equipment enabling illegal access to software, servers, websites, or other protected property.
17. Illegal goods which include materials, products, or information promoting illegal goods or enabling illegal acts.
18. Miracle cures which include unsubstantiated cures, remedies or other items marketed as quick health fixes.
19. Offensive goods which include literature, products or other materials that: (a) Defame or slander any person or groups of people based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, or other factors (b) Encourage or incite violent acts (c) Promote intolerance or hatred.
20. Offensive goods, crime which includes crime scene photos or items, such as personal belongings, associated with criminals.
21. Prescription drugs or herbal drugs or any kind of online pharmacies which includes drugs or other products requiring a prescription by a recognized and licensed medical practitioner in India or anywhere else.
22. Pyrotechnic devices and hazardous materials which includes fireworks and related goods, toxic, flammable, and radioactive materials, and substances.
23. Regulated goods which include air bags; batteries containing mercury; Freon or similar substances/refrigerants; chemical/industrial solvents; government uniforms; car titles; license plates; police badges and law enforcement equipment; lock-picking devices; pesticides; postage meters; recalled items; slot machines; surveillance equipment; goods regulated by government or other agency specifications.
24. Securities, which includes stocks, bonds, mutual funds or related financial products or investments.
25. Tobacco and cigarettes which includes cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, and related products.
26. Traffic devices, which includes radar detectors/jammers, license plate covers, traffic signal changers, and related products.
27. Weapons, which includes firearms, ammunition, knives, brass knuckles, gun parts, and other armaments.
28. Wholesale currency, which includes discounted currency or currencies and exchanges.
29. Live animals or hides/skins/teeth, nails and other parts etc of animals.
30. Multi-Level Marketing schemes or Pyramid/Matrix sites or websites using a matrix scheme approach.
31. Any intangible goods or services or aggregation/consolidation business.
32. Work-at-home information.
33. Drop-shipped merchandise.
34. Web-based telephony/ SMS/Text/Facsimile services or Calling Cards. Bandwidth or Data transfer/allied services. Voice process/knowledge process services excluding Broadband.
35. Real estate/Construction related services.
36. Virtual currencies such as Bitcoins.
37. BPO/KPO, Outsourcing services.
38. Job related services.
39. Any product or service, which is not in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations whether federal, state, both local and international including the laws of India.

1. Advance payments greater than 1 year (any product or service).
2. Airlines.
3. Any merchant offering a negative renewal option following a free or low-cost purchase or other deceptive or questionable billing practice.
4. All sexually orientated or pornographic merchants: -
   • Adult bookstores, video stores, retailers of lingerie and sex aids/‘toys’.
   • Adult websites and content.
   • Adult entertainment (miscellaneous).
   • Audio (phone sex adult phone conversations).
   • Companion/Escort services.
   • Dating services (sexually oriented) or aimed at “sex contact” or similar, or with
   • Sexually explicit pictures.
   • Fetish products.
   • Massage parlours (sexually oriented).
   • Miscellaneous adult entertainment (not elsewhere classified).
   • Prostitution.
   • Gentleman’s clubs, topless bars, and strip clubs.
   • Membership, clubs, subscriptions.
   • Any products on the internet containing graphic or nude content.
   • Any illegal activity (e.g. child pornography, bestiality etc).
   • Video (web-based sexually oriented video).
5. Any 7995 (online gambling) transactions on U.S. or other jurisdictions issued cards where such transactions are illegal.
6. Any illegal products/services or any service providing peripheral support of illegal activities (e.g. drugs).
7. Attendant services (bodyguards).
8. Bail Bondsmen.
9. Bidding Fee Auctions (a.k.a. penny auctions).
10. Business Correspondence/DMT.
11. Businesses selling using the following methods:
    • Door-to-door sales
    • Fulfilment house (merchant offering goods for sale, or order taking, on behalf of one or more 3rd party companies)
    • Inbound telemarketing in response to a postcard or similar offer.
    • Outbound telemarketing or facsimile.
    • Pyramid selling/multi-level marketing where the primary objective is the solicitation of new distributors and not the sale of products/services.
    • Sales force that are remunerated on a commission only basis.
    • Solicit cardholders when they contact call centres to purchase products of other direct marketers (“Up-sell”).
12. Cash advances (other than financial institutions).
13. Cash Gifting (ponzi scheme similar to chain letters where consumers are encouraged to “gift” a payment to another party and then solicit others to gift funds to them).
14. Chain letters.
15. Cheque cashing.
16. Collection Agencies.
17. Companion/Escort Services (adult and non-adult including internet).
18. Computer software (e.g. anti-virus) sold via inaccurate advertisement.
19. Cruise lines.
20. Currency exchange or dealer.
21. Debt/interest consolidation services or reduction services.
22. Decryption and descrambler products including mod chips designed to illegally circumvent computer/console software piracy protection.
23. Digital Gaming Reseller Services.
24. Discount Buying Clubs/home shopping clubs.
25. E-Cigarettes internet/MOTO.
26. Embassy, foreign consulate, or other foreign government.
27. Essay mills/Paper mills.
28. Fake references and other services/products that foster deception (including fake IDs and government documents).
29. File sharing services/cyber lockers.
30. oreclosure protection/guarantees (including “how to” guides”).
31. Flea markets (defined as firms/individuals operating from a booth, whether indoor or outdoor, on a part-time basis, with no lease or telephone availability).
32. Fortune tellers, palm readers, tarot readers etc.
33. Free gift, prize, sweepstake or the winning of a contest as an inducement to purchase a product or service.
34. Fulfilment Centres.
35. Gambling or gaming related activities (including internet), for example:
    • Betting shops / bookmakers.
    • Casinos.
    • Gambling houses.
    • Lotteries or other uncertain games.
    • Spread betting (including financial spread betting, contracts for difference, FX trading).
    • Sports forecasting or odds making.
36. Government grants.
37. Government Issued Licenses.
38. High Risk Securities, including but not limited to the following:
    • Binary options trading.
    • Contracts for difference (CFD).
    • Foreign Exchange (Forex) currency options trading.
    • Cryptocurrency options trading.
    • Initial coin offerings (ICOs).
39. Home based businesses with non-face-to-face transactions, where the merchant’s target market is outside the acquirer’s jurisdiction.
40. How to books, newsletters, subscriptions or on-line access for ANY industry shown in this unqualified list.
41. Illegal activities (products, services or any services providing peripheral support thereof, including drug paraphernalia).
42. Investment programs/business opportunities/seminars (when moved to restricted & why, should we keep for ISO).
43. Issue/seller/redeemer of money orders or travellers’ cheques.
44. IT services help desk (home based).
45. Jammers or devices that are designed to block, jam, or interfere with cellular and personal communication devices/signals.
46. Lead Generation.
47. Lifetime subscriptions (any product or services).
48. Lottery clubs.
49. Mail order spouse and international match-making services.
50. Medical discount benefits packages (including medical cards).
51. Medical Marijuana including Marijuana dispensaries (and affiliated services).
52. Merchants offering rebates or special incentives.
53. Merchants engaged in activities prohibited by the Card Brands.
54. Merchants or principals on MATCH/VMAS.
55. Merchants, principals, or related entities previously identified by any Card Brand for deceptive practices or any violation of Card Brand rules.
56. Merchants in a Card Brand excessive chargeback or fraud program or merchants with chargeback or fraud rates over 1%.
57. Merchants that use tactics to evade Card Brand excessive chargeback or fraud monitoring programs.
58. Merchants up selling or cross selling products of other merchants and then sharing the cardholder data with the third party or receiving cardholder data from third parties (Data Pass).
59. Merchants physically located outside of the acquirer’s jurisdiction permitted area of use.
60. Merchants splitting sales across multiple transactions.
61. Merchants that have ransom-like or extortion-like basis for their business model (e.g. mugshot removal).
62. Merchants trading (buying/selling) in gold bullion and other precious metals in bulk quantities.
63. Merchants engaged in any form of deceptive marketing practices including but not limited to:
    • Hidden disclosures.
    • Bogus claims & endorsements.
    • Pre-checked opt in boxes.
    • Refund /Cancellation avoidance.
64. Merchants which could be considered may damage the brand or reputation of First Data, FDI or the Card Brands – with specific reference to MasterCard and Visa “brand damaging transactions” guidelines.
65. Merchant operating as a front for other businesses.
66. Military Arm and equipment financing.
67. Modelling Agencies (adult and non-adult).
68. Money Transfer services.
69. Mortgage/loan modification.
70. Mortgage credit/debit reduction/consulting services.
71. Negative renewal option following a free or low-cost purchase (including pay for shipping only offers) where any of the following apply:
    • The term and conditions pertaining to the free trial and/or recurring charges do not contain clear disclosure to billing practices.
    • Contain cancellation obstacles.
    • Do not provide reminders prior to billing.
    • Pre-checked opt in boxes.
72. Non-essential (improvement type) cosmetic surgery
    • Essential surgery (including, for example, laser eye surgery) may be considered under Tier II/Restricted.
    • Treatments such as Botox injections and laser removal of tattoos, blemishes, veins etc are not considered ‘surgery’ and reputable businesses may be considered under Tier II/Restricted.
73. Non-face-to-face sales of:
    • Firearms and weapons
    • Pharmaceuticals (prescription drugs), contact lenses (unless registered optometrist) or medical devices (as described under MasterCard BRAM).
    • Tobacco products
74. Non FCA regulated financial/investment programs/opportunities, for example:
    • Credit repair or protection or restoration (including identity theft protection).
    • “Get rich quick” schemes (including internet search /ad optimization).
    • Mortgage or loan reduction/modification/protection/guarantee services.
    • Mortgage/credit/debt reduction/consulting services.
    • Real estate seminars.
75. Non-Registered Charities.
76. Nutraceuticals (e.g. acai berry, health related teas, herbal remedies, or drinks etc.).
77. Pay Day Loan lenders and brokers (Any broker for or lender of small value loans over a short payment period, attracting very high interest rates).
78. Pawnbrokers and pawn shops.
79. Private detectives.
80. Products/services that promote hate, violence, harassment, or abuse.
81. Provider or seller of prepaid access/stored value including both open-loop and closed-loop whereby the value of the card exceeds $2,000 on any day. (Closed-loop prepaid access includes gift cards, phone cards, subway cards, college campus cards, game cards and other limited use prepaid access devices.
82. Pseudo-pharmaceuticals (weight-loss, diet pills, anti-aging pills, anti-wrinkle creams, teeth whitening products, muscle building, sexual stimulants supplements, male enhancement products, colon cleansers, detox products, glucose strips, HCG, HGH-like substances, anti-aging pills, sex nutrients, vitamins etc.).
83. Replica or counterfeit products that infringe on copyright or similar.
84. Shippers/forwarding brokers, Internet/MOTO.
85. Social media “click farms” (e.g. the sale of clicks/likes/reviews/endorsements on social media).
86. Solicitors engaged principally in the practice of bankruptcy law.
87. Substances designed to mimic illegal drugs and/or other psychoactive products (e.g., K2, salvia divinorum, nitrite inhalers, bath salts, synthetic cannabis, kratom, herbal smoking blends & herbal incense).
88. Telemarketing (outbound) merchants (MCC 5966) Companies that solicit orders primarily with outbound telephone calls, facsimile or email. Includes “Up-sellers”.
89. Telemarketing (inbound) merchants (MCC 5967). Audiotext or videotext that customers access via phone, fax or internet.
90. Telemarketing (inbound) travel merchants (MCC 5962) – including discount travel clubs, membership of subscription to travel services or newsletters where subscribers may select pre-packaged trips.
91. Ticket Agencies.
92. Timeshare related businesses, including travel clubs.
93. Third Party Payment Processors and payment services companies (e.g. Marketplaces, Bill pay services, crowd funding, peer-to-peer payments, digital wallets, Commissary accounts etc.).
94. Aggregators falling outside of MasterCard/Visa approved program requirements (Payment Facilitators).
95. Virtual currency (that can be monetized, resold, converted, traded into Physical/digital goods & services outside the virtual world).
96. Webhosting companies with negative renewals and any of the following practices:
    • Free or low-cost trial offers.
    • Pay for shipping only offers.
    • Pre-checked boxes showing cardholder agreement with the merchants’ terms and conditions.
    • Multi-level marketing.
97. Terrorism individuals and organisations as listed by applicable governments.